Attachment for tooth-powder receptacles.



J. M. TOBIN. ATTACHMENT FOR TOOTH POWDER REGEPTAOLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOVv 10. 1908.

Patenfiefl Aug. 31

JOHN MARTIN TOBIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT FOR TOOTH-POWDER RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1908. Serial No. 461,950.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, J 01 n MARTIN ToBIN, citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Tooth-Powder Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to tooth-powder boxes; and it contemplates theprovision of simple, inexpensive and efficient means, designed to beused in connection with a toothpowder box for guiding to position andholding a tooth brush and delivering powder in proper quantity thereto,and this without liability of the powder being spilled and wasted, andalso without liability of the powder being moistened and deteriorated bythe brush when the latter is wet or damp.

\Vith the foregoing in view, the invention will be fully understoodfrom' the following description and claim when the same are readinconnection. with the drawings,

accompanying and forming part of thisspecification, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing in inverted position atooth-powder box equipped with a device constituting a practicalembodiment of my invention, and also showing a tooth brush in properposition in the guide and holder of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan viewshowing my improvements in the form of an attachment adapted to beplaced over the mouths of and used on a number of toothpowder boxes insuccession. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, taken in the plane indicatedby the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow on saidline, and showinga brush in the guide and holder. Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken in the plane indicated by the line H of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow on said line and showing the brush in sideelevation.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the'views of thedrawings, referring to which:

A is a. tooth-powder box which may be made of the elliptical shapeillustrated or of any other shape desired in cross-section, and B is mynovel means, as a whole. The said means may, without involving departurefrom the scope of my claimed invention, be arranged relative to the boxand permanently or detachably connected therewith in any mannerconsonant with the purpose of said invention. I prefer, however, to

make the said means in the form of an at- Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

and size to snugly receive and. be held by frictional contact on themouth or open end of the box A, and having a discharge opening a in itshorizontal wall 7), an open frame D fixed .on the upper or inner side ofsaid wall 7), a horizontally slidable valve E movable on the wall?) andin the frame D and havin an opening c and a toothed flange d extent ingupwardly at one'side thereof. and also having upwardly extending.projections c and a finger-piece f, a bowed spring F connected to onebar of the frame D and opposed to the projections e of the valve E, anda guide and holder M for the bristle-bearing portion of a tooth brush N,which guide and holder is fixed with respect to and depends from thehorizontal wall 6 of the body C. The spring F serves to return the valveE to and yieldingly hold the same in the position shown in Fig. 2-z'.6., in a position to prevent escape of .powder throughtl1e opening a inthe wall I), but it will be readily understood that when inward pressureis exerted on the finger-piece f and the valve E is moved, against theaction of the spring F, to put the opening 0 of the valve inregistration with the opening a in the wall 6, powder is free to passfrom the box. It will also be understood that incidental to the saidmovement of the valve against the action of the spring, the toothedflange (1 of the valve will agitate or put the powder in motion, and inthat way will assure the passage of a proper quantity of powder throughthe openings; when the same are. registered. This latter will beappreciated an important advantage when it is remembered that tooth powder under some conditions becomes damp, and in the absence of thetoothed flange cl which is moved through it, would be liable to clogabove the registered openings or" my novel means.

The brush guide and holder M may be .open at one or both ends,preferably the latter, and is of the shape illustrated incrosssecti0nthat is to say, is of loop-form with its side wallsdeflected inwardly at an intermediate point of their height, asindicated by m. This latter will be appreciated as a desirable featureof my invention when it. is noted by reference to Fig. 3 that saidfeature prevents the bristles of the brush contacting with the wall 6 ofthe body A and in that way precludes dampening and deterioration of thepowder in the box when the bristles of the brush are wet or moist.

In the practical use of my improvements, the bristle-bearing portion ofthe tooth-brush is placed in the guide and holder M with its bristlesopposed to the wall 6, in which position it will be retained by theguide and holder. user presses the valve'E inwardly against the actionof the spring F so as to register the aperture 0 with the aperture a,whereupon a certain quantity of powderwill be deposited upon thebristles of the brush and in such manner that none of the owder isspilled and wasted. Subsequent y to the supply of powder to the bristlesof the brush, the valve is relieved of pressure when the spring F willoperate to return the valve to its normal position and thereby cut ofithe supply of powder. With this done the brush is withdrawn from theguide and holder and is used in the usual manner.

I prefer in practice to make all of the elements of my novel means ofsheet-metal, and in order to prevent the guide and holder 'M fromcontacting with and discoloring the head and bristles of the tooth brushI preferably provide the guide and holder M with a lining M", of soft,textile or other suitable material, as shown in Fi 3. By virtue of theprovision of the sai linin dicoloration of the brush head and bris es isobviated, and the brush is always ready to be Then while holding thebox, the

placed in the mouth after being removed from the holder and guide M.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is, from apractical standpoint the best of which I am cognizant, but it is obviousthat in the future practice of the invention such changes ormodifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of myinvention as defined in the claim appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

The combination of a tooth-powder box, a wall closing the lower end ofthe box and having an opening for the downward passage ofpowder, anormally-closed, spring pressed valve controlling said opening andhaving a finger-piece extending laterally from one side of the box, anda de ending brush guide and holder, of loop. orm in cross-section,arranged below the opening in the wall and having its longitudinal edgespermanently connected throu h their length to the underside of the wall,at opposite sides of said opening, and also having its side walls curvedinwardly at an inter-' mediate point of their hei ht, the lower or bightportion of the guide and holder is adapted to receive thebristle-bearing portion of a tooth brush and xevent upward movement ofsaid portion or the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN MARTIN ToBIN.

Witnesses GEo. A. KRoENER, JR.,

BERTHA KIToBm.v

